Pets Are Good for Business — If You Manage Them the Right Way

If you've ever wondered whether allowing pets in your rental property is worth it, the data from PetScreening's 2026 State of Pets in Rental Housing report makes a compelling case: yes — but only with the right systems in place. According to the report, which surveyed 673 property management professionals nationwide, allowing pets increases resident applications for 40.78% of operators, improves tenant satisfaction for 26.95%, and boosts lease renewals for 23.40%. That's more demand, happier tenants, and lower turnover — all driven by a thoughtful pet policy. The flip side is equally clear: operators without proper screening and tracking tools report pet-related damage in 36% of their units, compared to just 26% for those using a formal pet management platform. The difference isn't luck — it's process.

That's exactly why One Stop Property Management requires every applicant — whether they have a pet or not — to complete a profile through PetScreening.com. Each pet receives a FIDO score based on a standardized risk assessment, and that score directly determines the monthly pet rent and deposit increase applied to the lease. A top-scoring pet (5 paws) means lower fees and no additional inspections; a lower-scoring pet means higher fees and closer oversight. This isn't arbitrary — it's a data-driven way to align the financial risk of welcoming a pet with the actual risk that pet presents to your property. It also closes what the PetScreening report calls the "Pet Visibility Gap": nationally, 71% of U.S. households own a pet, yet only 43% of renters disclose one. By requiring every applicant to complete a screening profile at move-in, we dramatically reduce the chance that an undisclosed pet is living in your home undetected — and uninsured.

For owners in our portfolio, this matters because pet-related damage is real and preventable. Industry-wide, the average cost of pet-related repairs runs $567 per affected unit. Our structured approach — including risk-tiered deposits and automatic enrollment in the Resident Benefits Package PLUS (which includes pest control) for pet-owning tenants — means those costs are anticipated and offset from day one. The goal isn't to discourage good tenants who happen to have pets; it's to give you confidence that your property is protected while you access a broader pool of qualified renters. If you have questions about how our pet program works or want to know whether your property is currently set up to take full advantage of it, give us a call at 816-545-9009 or reach out at Info@OneStopPM.com.



Source: PetScreening 2026 State of Pets in Rental Housing Survey Report